Semua Bab Bound by Blood : Bab 1 - Bab 10

ELARA'S POV"You don't get to control my life, Elara!"Matteo's voice bounced off the thin walls of our cramped apartment. I stood in the kitchen doorway, still in my scrubs from last night's shift, exhaustion pulling at every muscle in my body."Control you?" I shot back, my voice rising despite how much I tried to control it."I'm not trying to control you, Matteo. I'm trying to keep us from ending up on the street!"He laughed bitterly, running his hands through his messy brown hair. The same hair our mother used to ruffle when he was little, back when things were simple. Back when our parents were still alive."Right. Because everything you do is so noble. Saint Elara, working herself to death to take care of her useless little brother."The words stung more than I wanted to admit. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to hold myself together."That's not fair and you know it.""Fair?" He spun around to face me fully, his eyes blazing with something I didn't recognize. Anger, ye

ELARA'S POVI couldn't just sit there. Not with Matteo in danger. Not with those men having him.I jumped off the couch, nearly tripping over my own feet as I grabbed my bag and keys. My hands were still shaking so badly I could barely grip them properly.I had to find him. Had to do something. I needed to call the hospital. Tell them I couldn't come in for my next shift. Make up some excuse. I didn't care what they thought. Matteo's life was more important than my job.I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers and dialed the charge nurse's direct line. It rang three times before she picked up."St. Mary's ER, this is Karen.""Karen, it's Elara." My voice came out strained and breathless. "I need to take emergency leave. Starting now."There was a pause on the other end. "Elara? Your shift doesn't start until tomorrow morning. Are you okay?""No. I mean yes. I mean—" I pressed my free hand against my forehead, trying to think straight through the panic. "It's a family emergenc

DANTE'S POVI watched her struggle with the decision. I watched the tears stream down her face. I watched her look at her pathetic brother on the floor and back at me.She would sign. They always did when you gave them no other choice.But something about her face kept pulling at my memory. Something familiar I couldn't quite place.I'd seen her before. I was certain of it.Her dark hair. Those wide, terrified eyes. Where had I seen her?The question gnawed at me as I held out the contract. As I counted down. As I watched her break.Then it hit me. A flash of memory. Buried deep from eight years ago.A warehouse. Blood on the floor. My men cleaning up a situation that had gone wrong.And a girl. Young, maybe around eighteen. Standing frozen in the doorway. Her eyes wide with shock as she took in the scene.A witness. An accidental witness who'd walked in at exactly the wrong moment.We'd grabbed her before she could run. Brought her to the secure location. I remembered looking at her

ELARA’S POVI cannot sleep.Even when the penthouse quiets down. Even when the footsteps fade and the doors close, my mind refuses to rest.I keep seeing him.The man who ran in.The way he dropped to his knees.The way his voice broke when he talked about his daughter.And Dante.The way he listened.The way he said yes.It does not make sense.Nothing about him makes sense.He threatened my family without hesitation. Forced me into a marriage I never chose. Made it clear I belong to him now.And yet tonight, he risked everything for someone he does not even know.I sit on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor, trying to make it fit into something logical.It does not.“You should rest.”Sofia’s voice cuts through my thoughts.She has not left.Not once.She stands near the door, watching me like I am something that might explode at any moment.“I’m not tired,” I say.That is a lie.My body aches. My head feels heavy. But sleep feels impossible.Sofia studies me for a moment.“Yo

The Night Everything BurnedELARA’S POVI wake to silence.Not the calm kind.The wrong kind.For a few seconds, I lie still, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand what pulled me out of sleep. My body feels heavy, my mind slow, but something deep inside me is alert.Listening.Waiting.Then I hear it.A distant sound.A sharp crack that echoes faintly through the walls.My breath catches.That is not normal.I push myself up slowly, my heart starting to beat faster. The room is dim, lit only by the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Everything looks the same.But it does not feel the same.Another sound.Closer this time.A gunshot.My stomach drops.“No,” I whisper under my breath.Before I can move, before I can even think, chaos erupts.Voices shout somewhere outside my room. Fast footsteps pound against the floor. Something heavy crashes. Then more gunfire.My hands start shaking.They are under attack.The realization hits hard and fast.Someone got inside.I stumble out of be